This year, I decided I wanted to start journaling each day. For Christmas, I requested a Gratitude journal and a Daily Devotions book. If you follow me on MeWe, you will see my daily devotion posts (#DailyDevotions). What I don’t share each day is what I write in my gratitude journal (Good Days Start with Gratitude).

You see, I have always been the type to see the glass as half empty, and with Little Man, I quickly realized that is not good at all; I don’t want him to grow up and be a Negative Ned! Our living situation this past year was also extremely negative, and the tension in the house was apparent in how Little Man was clingy, fussy, and would not sleep on his own. He had to be touching me the entire time he slept, which meant I could not get my own time during naptime or when I put him down to sleep.

A side effect for me was that I was always exhausted. It did not matter that I would sleep with Little Man, the emotional fatigue I felt from September through January was just so tough to handle. So, I was pleasantly surprised when someone got me the journal I had on our Christmas wish list.

One of the first pages of this journal has a definition of gratitude: “the feeling of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” When I read this, it made so much sense to me, and I knew it was going to be an important part on the journey to improved emotional intelligence I embarked on last year.

Every day, since 1 January, I have spent time each morning, or naptime, if Little Man woke up before me, meditating on what three things I was thankful for each day. Some days, i was grateful for naps, Little Man cuddles, and a hot cup of tea. Some days, my gratitude was bigger, and encompassed more.

Taking the time to journal each day helped me help Little Man have a better day, as I was not tense. I have found that my entire way of thinking has changed as well; I am no longer a “glass half empty” person. Now, that doesn’t mean that I think the glass is half full…I just think that it’s a perfect glass of whiskey neat.

I am much more optimistic than I have ever been in my life, and especially these past two months, I take additional time throughout each day to acknowledge my gratitude. I am grateful for much more than three things on a daily basis. Putting those three things in writing though, has been a great exercise. It forces me to really recap my previous day, and look forward to the day ahead.

Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with Squatch’s extended family for a birthday yesterday, and for the time Little Man got (as short as it was) with Squatch. Seeing the two of them cuddle, and hearing Little Man’s giggles as he played and wrestled with his daddy lit up my life, and made my heart swell. I was also grateful for naptime today, because it is a cold and rainy day, and all I have wanted to do was to sleep the day away, so I got about 2 hours of a nap with Little Man curled up at my side.

What do you think about Gratitude? Have you ever taken the time to think about just three things that you are thankful for? I guarantee that if you start, and write them down each day (and I mean PHYSICALLY write them down on a calendar, or in a journal, or something along those lines), you will see your way of thinking will change, and you will be in a much better mind space. And really, don’t we all need to be in a better mind space lately, especially as we get closer to this big thing coming up on a Tuesday in a few weeks?